Hurricane Beryl has become an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm as it approaches the Windward Islands, bringing deadly winds and storm surge to the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday.
Beryl expanded in strength for two days, reaching Category 4 on a scale of 5 on Sunday, before stabilizing, the center said in a late afternoon statement.
With sustained winds of 130 mph, the storm would likely be a destructive force during the early part of the week as it aims for a possible showdown with Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula next weekend, according to the hurricane center.
“Fluctuations in strength are common in large hurricanes in conducive environments, and Beryl is also expected to fluctuate in strength over the next day or so,” the center said in a separate forecast discussion. “There is great confidence that Beryl will continue to be an extremely dangerous hurricane as it makes landfall in the Windward Islands.”
Its center is expected to cross the Windward Islands on Monday morning, with hurricane conditions, including heavy rain, forecast for Sunday night, the agency said.
The Windward Islands include Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Martinique. On Sunday afternoon, Beryl was about 400 kilometers southeast of Barbados, with maximum sustained winds of 210 kilometers per hour. It was moving northwest at about 18 mph.
A US hurricane warning is in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Tobago, where hurricane conditions are possible from Monday morning.
The Barbados government began opening emergency shelters on Sunday night and ordered all businesses to close by 7 p.m. In statements on social media, it said the center of the hurricane would travel 75 miles south of Barbados on Monday morning.
Flash flooding and hurricane-force winds are likely, the government said. Barbados authorities also warned about a low pressure system behind Beryl, which could become a tropical depression and affect the country on Wednesday if it continues at a fast pace.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for Martinique, and tropical storm watches are in effect for Dominica and Trinidad, which could experience tropical storm conditions on Sunday night.
“Potentially catastrophic wind damage is expected where Beryl’s eyewall moves through parts of the Windward Islands, with the greatest risk from the core in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada,” the hurricane center said.
Potentially deadly storms can raise water levels 6 to 9 feet above normal tide levels in hurricane watching areas and bring destructive waves to the coast.
Three to six inches of rain is possible in Barbados and the Windward Islands from Sunday to Monday, which could cause flooding in some areas. Up to 25 centimeters of rain are possible in some areas, especially in the Grenadines.
Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre announced a nationwide shutdown as a result of the hurricane warning that will go into effect on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. local time. He did not say when it will be lifted. Schools will remain closed on Monday and “employers are expected to cooperate,” he said.
In a Facebook post, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority urged the public to “remain indoors and away from glass windows when tropical hurricane force winds affect the area.”
“All people should avoid entering the ocean. Failure to comply with this request puts human lives at risk, including those of our first responders,” the council stated. The council also encouraged tourists to contact their airline to book flights home.
The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force canceled all police licenses in preparation for Beryl.
“All police officers are requested to report to the nearest police station by 6pm today, Sunday, June 30, 2024,” he said. It isTheidentification in the Facebook.
In Grenada, the state of emergency will come into force at 7pm on Sunday and will remain in place for a week, “unless earlier revoked”, Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said at a briefing.
The country’s National Disaster Management Agency encouraged the public to secure three days of non-perishable food and water while Beryl makes her impact. Those in storm-prone areas were encouraged to move to one of the open shelters in Grenada.
Mitchell warned the public that “this is not a drill.”
“We need to be calm, we need to pray, but most importantly we need to prepare,” Mitchell said.
All police leave has also been canceled in Grenada, and officers have been asked to return to work, according to Mitchell.
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